The present invention relates to a horizontal rotary transfer apparatus in which an endless linked belt is horizontally rotated so that loaded material such as pallets may be transferred.
For example, there is a known horizontal rotatable transfer apparatus which comprises an endless belt as mentioned in Japanese Utility Model Pub. No. 56-49942, the apparatus being shown in FIG. 5.
In the known apparatus, there is a pair of circular rotary plate 1 around which cut-out portions 1a are provided at regular intervals, each rotary plate 1 being rotatably mounted around a vertical shaft 1b. A linked belt in which a plurality of holding links 2 and connecting links 3 are alternately connected is wound around a pair of circular rotary plates 1 and is driven by suitable power means, so that material 4 on the holding link 2 is horizontally transferred.
However, in the known apparatus in FIG. 5, the distance "W" between parallel runs of the linked belt is substantially the same as the diameter of the circular rotary plate 1, which brings about a useless wide space between the two runs.
To decrease the distance "W" between the two runs, if the diameter of the circular rotary plate 5 becomes smaller, it is necessary to shorten the length of the links 6 and 7 so as to match the size of the circular rotary plate 5, which causes unstable transporting of loaded material.
The main object of the present invention is to diminish pulsatory motion generated in driving the link train by constructing a link driving device as follows.
A link driving device in a horizontal rotary transfer apparatus using a pair of regular triangular rotors (111), in which a plurality of links (21, 22) of a unit length which corresponds to the length of a side of said regular triangular rotor (111), each of the rotors (111) is rotatably mounted on each of pair of vertical axes (112) respectively. The links (21) and (22) ((21) which is a leading link) and (22)) of unit length are connected one after another by joining pins (114) to form a pair of endless link trains so that the link trains can be circulated.
The link driving device comprises a pair of endless chains (115a), (115b) which are wounded with a pair of sprockets (116a), (117a), (116b) and (117b) respectively along said pair of endless link trains and to which a plurality of engaging members (118) are attached at an interval equal to the unit length of the link (21,22), a pair of driving shafts (122aO (122b) disposed on a common axis so that at least one of the sprockets (116a) (116b) (117a) (117b) wound with the endless chain can be driven via transmitting means, a differential gear means (124) which interconnects rotatably the driving shafts (122a 122b) at the same or different speed, and a driving means which drives the driving shafts (122aO (122b) through said differential gear means (124).
The link driving device of the present invention is constructed as afore-described.
Hereinafter referring to the accompanying drawings, detailed description of the present invention is given as follows.